UNCOMMON NEW EATERIES

The Commons, Luce and 100 Wines launch despite tepid recovery

Update

PrepKitchen Del Mar: Shut down after a fire last October, the restaurant is finally scheduled to reopen Sept. 6. Co-owner Arturo Kassel said that he spent $750,000 over and above his insurance money to reconfigure the space and make the kitchen larger.

San Diego, CA, USA. August 21, 2012, Tuesday._ Philippe Beltran&apos;s newest restaurant, 100 Wines, opened on University Avenue in Hillcrest this week. PHOTO BY CRISSY PASCUAL/INFINITE MEDIA WORKS

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San Diego, CA, USA. August 21, 2012, Tuesday._ Philippe Beltran's newest restaurant, 100 Wines, opened on University Avenue in Hillcrest this week. PHOTO BY CRISSY PASCUAL/INFINITE MEDIA WORKS

It’s certainly not a replica of “Cheers,” but owners of the soon-to-open Commons hope their new downtown bar and restaurant will exude the same neighborhood-friendly vibe that inhabited the popular TV series.

The planned $1 million project, across the street from Horton Plaza, is banking on continued private investment around Broadway and an expanded public park to energize the still-revitalizing neighborhood.

“It was the location that really spurred the interest for me,” said first-time restaurateur Jake Pescatello, who is partnering with Leigh Gibson, a co-owner of Dirty Birds in Pacific Beach, on The Commons project. “What really made it an exciting concept is the development of Horton Plaza Park. We were mindful of creating something that was cohesive with the park and making it something very unpretentious.”

News lately about the restaurant industry has been somewhat mixed, with traffic volumes slowing but diners spending more when they eat out, according to the NPD Group, a national market research firm.

The tepid recovery, though, hasn’t dimmed the enthusiasm of San Diego’s aspiring and veteran restaurateurs.

The prolific Cohn Restaurant Group, which has drawn high praise for its BO-beau eatery in Ocean Beach, is capitalizing on its success with yet another European bistro, this one in Hillcrest called 100 Wines Hillcrest.

And the owner of one of San Diego’s oldest restaurants is teaming with his two sons to open his first new eatery in more than three decades.

Here’s a rundown on San Diego’s restaurant openings.

The Commons

The 2,800-square-foot space that most recently housed a gastropub called The Lincoln Room and before that, the Confidential nightclub, is being transformed into a two-level bar and eatery that includes a game room on the mezzanine.

Floor-to-ceiling windows that had been previously covered up will offer views of the street and Horton Plaza Park, and the dining room will lead to an outdoor patio, said Pescatello, who last year sold a mortgage company he owned before deciding to pursue a long-held dream of opening a restaurant.

“We want to take the best elements of a traditional bar and grill and make it our own,” said Pescatello, who grew up in Massachusetts. “It does kind of seem like the ‘Cheers’ theme song. It’s a place where, if not everyone knows your name, you’re treated like everyone’s your friend or neighbor, a home away from home.”

A fan of Dirty Birds at the beach, Pescatello met the owner at a party to celebrate the restaurant’s sale of its millionth wing, and the two talked about their mutual interest in opening a downtown restaurant. Within two weeks, they were in escrow on the Lincoln Room site.

While The Commons is primarily designed as a bar, the owners don’t plan to scrimp on what will primarily be traditional pub fare, including Dirty Birds’ signature wings.

100 Wines Hillcrest

The Cohn Restaurant Group’s latest venture is both a return to its roots — its first full-service restaurant was in Hillcrest — and a look forward. Pleased with the success of its European bistro concept in Ocean Beach, Lesley and David Cohn teamed up once again with designer and restaurateur Philippe Beltran on 100 Wines.

The new Hillcrest restaurant and BO-beau share the same executive chef — Katherine Humphus — and both rustic and eclectic décor.

“We pretty much gutted the dining room and interior space,” David Cohn said of the former Buonissimo 2 space.

Beltran, an inveterate traveler, draws inspiration from his European visits and the pieces he picks up on his travels. He’s populated the 100-seat restaurant with tables and light fixtures from the 1940s and ’50s, a huge wine cabinet from Mexico, a vintage radio and antique blackboard.

The menu, which has more of an emphasis on Italian cuisine, will also be slightly more daring than the fare served at BO-beau, Beltran said.

“It’s not pretentious, but more daring,” he said, “which is perfect for Hillcrest.”

The restaurant’s name, Cohn said, reflects the fact that more than 100 wines will be featured, organized by price: $20, $30 and $40 or more.

“One of the difficulties in naming a restaurant is you need to come up with a name that hasn’t been used in the U.S.,” noted Cohn. “You come up with a name you’ve never heard of, and then you find someone else already has that name.”

Luce Bar and Kitchen

For 31 of its 33 years, Baci Ristorante has had as its next-door neighbor DaNino’s, a pizzeria that stood in sharp contract to the more elegant Baci. But a fire last year persuaded Baci owner Tony D’Amato and his two sons to take over the small space and convert it into an updated “California-inspired gastropub.”

The re-imagined 900-square-foot spot will be the first restaurant D’Amato has opened since debuting his fine-dining icon in 1989.

“It’s just what’s working right now, that shared plates, under-$20-for-an-entree thing,” said son Sal D’Amato, who is the general manager at Baci and will hold that same position at Luce. “It’s what the market wants, so we’re not going to go against that.”

Don’t expect Baci’s white tablecloths and tuxedoed waiters at Luce. The new restaurant will have a more modern industrial look, with exposed wood beam ceilings, garage door window, plenty of black steel and reclaimed wood.

And a trimmed-down menu of shared plates, pizzas and a few entrees will be a marked difference from the old-world Italian fare of Baci’s (think chicken Marsala and veal saltimbocca).